Loyal dog waits outside hospital for months after owner dies

A LOYAL dog has been waiting outside the hospital where his owner died for over four months, hoping that he will return.

The grieving pup is still refusing to leave the entry of a hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil after his owner, a homeless man, was rushed there after being stabbed in a street fight.

Following the accident the dog reportedly followed the ambulance to the Santa Casa de Novo Horizonte medical centre, where he patiently waited for his owner to come back out.

Sadly the man died from his injuries, but his loyal friend continues to sit outside waiting for him to return.

Local resident Cristine Sardella shared the dog's story along with pictures of the animal on Facebook in a post that has since gone viral.

Translated from Portuguese, she said that people have "a lot to learn from animals".

"This dog stays every day at the door of the Santa Casa de novo horizonte waiting for its owner who unfortunately passed away," she wrote.

"Waiting for him is in vain, but his love for his owner is eternal. Animals can teach men true love."

Ms Sardella first noticed the dog when she visited the hospital for an appointment, she told animal lovers website The Dodo.

"He would get up to let people pass by, very politely, and then lay right back down again," she said.

She reportedly arranged for the dog to be picked up by a rescue organisation but he escaped and made the three kilometre trek back to the hospital.

The hospital's director Osvaldo Sobrinho said a staff member was already waiting to adopt the dog when it is ready and, in the mean time, they are arranging for a vet to come and vaccinate him and ensure that he is healthy.